An Open Letter to Stakeholders in Canada’s Interactive Media Industry

As you may already know, there is widespread speculation that the federal government may not renew the Telefilm Canada New Media Fund (CNMF) when its current term expires on March 31, 2009. You may have seen coverage of the issue in the August 30th Globe and Mail or the Playback daily newsletter this week.

The CNMF, which is administered by Telefilm Canada, supports new media and Internet-based content creation and marketing activities to the tune of $14.5 million annually. The loss of this fund will have far-reaching implications for the provincial associations making up the Canadian Interactive Alliance’s membership, and Canada’s Interactive Media industry as a whole.

What we do know for certain is that the government has already announced the following programme cuts, some of which will also have a detrimental impact on our industry:

- Trade Routes, $9 million
- The A-V Preservation Trust, $300,000
- The Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund, $1.5 million
- The National Training Schools Program, $2.5 million
- PromArt, $4.7 million

The officers, directors and staff of the Canadian Interactive Alliance are dedicated to remaining at the forefront of this issue. In fact, for the past two years we have been calling for more than 100% funding increase for the CNMF, which has been very effective in supporting emerging companies and higher-risk projects. Many of Canada’s critical and market successes in Interactive Media, both here at home and internationally, would not have been possible without the support of the CNMF.

The Canadian Interactive Alliance is meeting with key federal policy makers and members of Parliament in an effort to gather more information regarding the potential cuts, as well as intelligence on any planned programmes and funding that could ultimately replace the CNMF. In addition, we’re making our voice heard on regulatory policy matters, such as several current CRTC proceedings that could potentially mean more funding for Interactive Media projects from sources other than the CNMF.

It is of the utmost importance that the Canadian government supports domestic creators of Interactive Media content so that this exciting industry may continue to flourish in a country rich with innovation, new ideas, and intellectual property. The CIAIC and its member organizations will continue work on your behalf to ensure our collective concerns are heard.

It seems certain that there will be a federal election this fall. To this end we are planning a number of activities and a call to action to ensure that together we make the strongest possible case to become an important part of the economic and cultural agendas for all Canadian political parties.

Please stay tuned for further details, and get in touch with us anytime at www.ciaic.ca or james@ciaic.ca to voice your concerns or request more information.

Yours truly,

Ian Kelso
President, CIAIC